The Silence in Between
by RaucousDragon
Summary: Lyndis Rayne lived a normal, boring life, until one day she somehow stumbled into 15th century Italy. After being falsely accused of being an Assassin, she is taken in by none other than the famous Leonardo da Vinci and the rutheless assassin, Ezio Auditore. Now she must learn the way of the Assassin to survive... Ezio x OC Rated M for language and possible future sexual scenes
1. Rain of Change

Good lord, it's been a while since I've uploaded anything. I've had a hell of a writer's block, plus I've been doing stuff for school and other things. _ _

I haven't forgotten about my other fics. I'm just not really sure where I want to go with them right now. So for now, I'm just writing whatever I feel like, since forced writing tends to suck.

But here is my latest fic. I've kinda become obsessed with Assassin's Creed. _ _ This is, like everything else that I write, just for the hell of it. Enjoy~

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DISCLAIMER: I do not own Assassin's Creed, or any characters affiliated with the game. Although, if I did, I would so call dibsies on Ezio. 3

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**The Silence in Between**

**_Chapter One_: Rain of Change**

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It was raining again. Lyn sighed as she peered out from under the overhang, scowling at the dark skies. This was the third day in this week alone. Sure, when she had moved up north, she had been expecting foul weather, but nothing this bad. Perhaps she simply wasn't used to the weather yet. Living in the more arid climate of the south, she had grown accustomed to drier weather. It would just take some getting used to.

But as she stared at the drizzling rain, she could already feel her mood souring. And here she had gone to all the trouble of straightening her hair today. Tugging a hairband out of her messenger bag, she quickly tied her now-curling vibrant red hair back in a messy bun. So much for trying to look nice. Laughing quietly to herself, Lyn tugged a too-big black hoodie over her head, letting the baggy hood shadow the top half of her face. Since she was still terrible at catching a cab, she would just walk home. Slipping her earbuds in, she cranked up her music and shoved her hands into her pockets before stepping out into the rain.

She quickly cast her eyes down as she walked, focusing on the sidewalk rather than the people around her. It was a bad habit she had gotten herself into in high school. She had always been rather anti-social, but her father's death had sealed her off from the world. Now she remained cold and detached, preferring to blend with the crowd rather than stand out. But she wasn't really concerned with her social problems at the moment.

…_Fifty-eight… Fifty-nine… Sixty. _

Sixty steps to the first light. Lyn kept her gaze on the ground, counting the seconds silently as she waited for the crossing signal to turn green. Thirty seconds passed before the other people began to move, sweeping Lyn along with them.

…_One hundred and twenty-five… One hundred and twenty-six…_

Lyn continued to watch her steps, weaving her way quickly through the crowd. Only ten more steps to go until she crossed another street. Then it was only a block or so until her apartment. She paused at the light, waiting to see what the people around her did. Most of them continued walking, so she too hurried across the street. Her music still blaring, she almost didn't hear the screech of tires. Glancing up, she saw a car hurtling toward her, wheels spinning on the wet pavement. Her mind momentarily went blank before she leapt back, staggering out of the way in the nick of time. The car finally came to a halt, other people around her murmuring in surprise and shock. Lyn's heart still hammered in her chest as she stared down at her now-soaked pant legs. Had she reacted just a few seconds later, and she would have been a pancake. Shaking her head, she trudged off, bitterly wondering why everyone was so damn concerned with the car, rather than her. After all, _she_ was the one who had almost been hit…

Dammit, now she had lost count. Sighing, Lyn let her mind wander as she walked, not really focusing on anything as she walked robotically forward. The rain pattered down on her hood, beating out a melodic rhythm that matched the song she was listening to. Finally, the playlist came to an end, bringing with it an eerie silence. Lyn came to a halt, tugging her earbuds out and pocketing them.

It was then that she realized that the street had changed. What had once been solid concrete was now cobblestone and dirt. None of the city streets were like that… Frowning, Lyn raised her eyes, wondering where she was.

The sight she was met with made her mind go blank.

The bland city street had transformed into a colorful Renaissance alley. The gray concrete apartments were gone, replaced by tan buildings with red tile roofs. Large windows dotted the sides of the houses, most of which had a garden box of some sort. Brightly colored flags hung from bannisters and ropes, hanging limply in the absence of wind.

But what alarmed Lyn the most was the people. A few people scurried back and forth along the street, presumably trying to get out of the rain. Their attire, however, reminded her of a Shakespearian play. Dresses and boots and baggy shirts with fluffy wrist cuffs… And the ones she could hear talking were speaking a foreign language.

Lyn stared for a moment, rooted to the spot. Finally, once her brain had regained some control, she managed to utter one phrase.

"What the fuck?"

* * *

"Another dead end. _Great_."

Lyn cursed under her breath, scowling at the wall as if she could vaporize it with just her mind. She had been wandering around this city for the past couple of hours, and she _still_ didn't know where she was. She had seen a couple canals along her way, but every time she stopped to ask people where she was, they stared at her in horror and wouldn't say a word.

Lyn vaguely wondered if there was something on her face.

Growling angrily, she crossed her arms and kicked at a loose cobblestone. She quickly assembled the things she did know in her head. One, she appeared to be somewhere in Italy. The garbled bits of talk she had overheard sounded remotely like the random phrases she remembered from a video game she had played a few years back. Not that a game was really a reliable resource, but it was all she had.

Two, she had somehow been sent back in time. Her logical thought process cringed at the absurd thought, but how else was she to explain the lack of electricity and modern-day inventions? Her iPod and cell phone had conveniently stopped working, too, ever since she had somehow arrived here. They were no more than useless pieces of plastic now.

And three… She had a third point. What was it again? Bringing a palm up to her forehead, she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to will away the mind-splitting headache that had resurfaced. Oh yes. That. Something was wrong with her. Her head had begun to ache ever since entering this strange place.

As she held her forehead in her hands, the sound of a sword being drawn from behind her startled her out of her thoughts. "_Finalmente ho trovato voi, assassino," _a gruff voice growled, the tone alone causing Lyn's blood to run cold. Raising her head, she turned slowly, hoping not to alarm whoever it was that had a sword on her. The man in question appeared to be a knight of some sort, covered in almost full body armor. Lyn's eyes were quickly drawn to the red cross on the man's breastplate. The knight stepped forward, raising his sword to point at her chest. _"Non mi sfugge questo tempo."_

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Lyn yelped, raising her hands in a sign of surrender. "Hold on, I haven't done anything wrong! Can we please put away the sharp objects and take a moment to chill the fuck out?"

The knight merely snarled, _"Consegna ora, assassino, o morire!"_ He took another step forward, pressing the tip of the blade lightly against Lyn's neck. Lyn froze, her head unconsciously tilting up in an attempt to keep the razor-sharp blade from slicing into her neck. Her heart hammered in her chest as she tried to mentally work her way out of the situation at hand. And it didn't help that her brain had shut down the instant that cold blade had brushed against her throat.

But what alarmed her even more was that as she stood frozen, she felt her heartbeat calm for an instant, and heard herself murmur _"Non potrò mai rinunciare, voi bastardo."_ The knight snarled, and, almost in slow motion, she saw the muscles in his arm tense as he meant to thrust his sword forward. Reacting on instinct, she grabbed the sword with her left hand, the cold steel easily biting into her skin. In the same motion, she spun to the right, keeping her back to the sword. As she spun, she slammed her fist against the side of the knight's exposed head. Pain lanced through the side of her fist as the knight's head snapped to the side, and he staggered away, groaning in pain. Lyn took off, not bothering to look back and see if the knight was following.

Lyn darted down the streets, not knowing where she was going and not caring enough to stop. She just ran. She couldn't hear anything but her own panting breaths as she pounded blindly down the streets, knocking into others who had decided to venture out into the rain. Finally, after what felt like hours, Lyn staggered into an empty alleyway. Leaning against the wall, she hunched over her knees and gasped for air. What the fuck was going on? That guard was trying to kill her! And since when did she speak Italian? Lyn snapped to attention when she noticed that her hands were shaking. Clenching her fists, she sucked in a deep breath to calm herself. Tugging her messenger bag up, she shakily dug through the bag until her hand clasped across the texture of polished wood. She pulled the item out, relief swelling up inside her as she held the worn butterfly blade. Lyn carefully held the blade, running her fingers along the wooden handle in an almost reverent fashion. For once, she was glad that she kept her father's old blade on her at all times. Sure, getting it through security could be a bitch, but it was times like this that she had kept the knife.

Well, not _specifically_ times like this.

Flicking the blade open, she inspected it for any scratches or wear. She was pleased to see that the blade was sharp as ever. Snapping the knife shut, she palmed the compacted blade, tucking it up inside her baggy jacket sleeve. If any guards came after her now, she would be prepared. Glancing around, Lyn tugged her hood lower over her eyes and stuffed her hands in her pockets. Bowing her head ever so slightly, she stepped out of the alleyway and onto what appeared to be a major street. As the rain had stopped, more people were outside milling along the road. Perfect. Now she could truly disappear.

Lyn weaved in and out of the crowds, walking along at a slightly quicker pace than most around her. She could hear the guards causing a commotion as they looked for her. Lyn couldn't help but smirk at their foolishness. The noise they caused would only serve her better, taking the attention _away_ from her. Noticing a group of guards up ahead blockading the road, Lyn took a sudden turn down a side street.

And, for the second time that day, she heard the hiss of a blade leaving its sheath. Lyn froze, listening intently. How had they snuck up on her? She had been on alert the whole time. There was no way she wouldn't hear the noisy clanging of those steel boots or the jangle of chain mail.

But instead, she heard the light tap of leather boots and the rustle of fabric. Whoever this was, they weren't a guard. She waited, listening for anything as the armed man stepped forward until he was almost directly behind her. _"Chi sei? Che cosa sono voi in corporazione?"_ a smooth baritone voice asked. Lyn hadn't been expecting that. The man from before had such a gruff and dry voice, but this voice was fantastically smooth, flowing like water from the man's lips. If a voice was any indication to how attractive a man was, this man had to be a godly creation. She almost jumped as she felt a strong hand on her shoulder. _"Ho fatto una domanda,"_ the man growled, tugging her around to face him. Lyn let the man turn her around, letting the butterfly blade concealed in her jacket fall into her hand. Flicking the blade out, she sliced it forward, only to have her hand suddenly caught and have herself dragged forward. Lyn struggled in the man's powerful grip, snarling, "Let me _go_, asshole!" She finally wrenched her hand free, staggering back as she took in the sight of her attacker.

A strange man stood before her, wearing a white hooded robe. A deep brown cape hung over his left shoulder, partially shrouding the sword that hung loosely off his leather belt. Lyn needed only to see the silver crest on the man's belt and the white hood to know what he was. "Assassin," she breathed, staring wide-eyed at the man.

"_Sì,"_ he nodded, apparently understanding that much. A frown darkened what she could see of his face. _"Non vi sono anche la fraternità?"_

"Oh god, this is bad," Lyn muttered, her hands flying up to her head as she clenched the dark fabric of her own hood. She began to pace nervously, finally understanding the knight's reason for attacking her. "Oh no, no, no… Those guards… They think I'm one of you! Oh man… What the fuck am I going to do?"

"_Sei malato?"_ the Assassin asked, extending a gloved hand toward her.

"I don't know what you're saying!" she shouted, throwing her arms down in frustration. "Speak fucking _English_, man!"

The Assassin cocked his head to the side, a curious look crossing his face as he inspected her. "What do you mean, _English_?" he frowned. "You are speaking _Italiano_ as well."

Lyn stopped, her train of thought completely derailed as the man suddenly began to make sense. "Wait, what? How the… I can understand you now."

"You are not making sense," the man scowled, clearly growing frustrated with her. "You have a strange accent, certainly, but you have been speaking _Italiano_ for this entire conversation. And you still have not answered my first question. Who are you?"

"What, me? Speaking Italian? Yeah, you're fucking funny," Lyn laughed, rolling her eyes at the man. It took her a moment to realize that he wasn't kidding. "Oh fuck, you're serious."

"Answer the question, child. _Who are you?_"

Lyn opened her mouth to respond when a shout cut her off. "Over here! I found them!"

"_Cazzo!_" the Assassin cursed, wheeling around to the guard who was now closing in on them. He flicked his wrist, extending a hidden blade and raising his hands before him in a boxing-esque defense. The guard charged with a roar, only to have the Assassin sidestep him and impale him on the blade. Lyn gasped as the man coughed up rather large quantities of blood. She felt her stomach churn as the sickening smell reached her, and she held a hand up to her nose in an attempt to block out the smell. "Quickly! This way!" the Assassin snapped, grabbing her arm and towing her along behind as he ran down the alley.

"Wait! Where are we going?" Lyn shouted, but the Assassin didn't answer. They ran down a maze of twisting alleys and passages, before finally coming to a halt before a seemingly random doorway. Lyn was out of breath by this point, and stood gasping for air beside the hooded man.

The Assassin pounded on the door, shouting, "Leonardo! Open up!"

"Leonardo?" Lyn blinked, finally beginning to catch her breath. "Wait, you don't mean-"

The door flew open, cutting her off. Inside stood a blonde haired man wearing an artist's clothes. A grin spread across his face as he saw the Assassin. "Ah, Ezio. I thought I heard you knocking. Do come in!"

Lyn stared at the Assassin, her brain refusing to process. Ezio? This man was _Ezio_? That wasn't possible. Ezio was a fictional character, not a real person. But as the man tugged her harshly into the room and removed his hood, she was forced to face the reality that stood before her. He was _real_. Every detail was the same: his hair, his eyes, even the scar on his lip.

The man towered over Lyn, glaring down at her with a dark look. "I am Ezio Auditore da Firenze," he boldly stated. "Now, you will answer me. _Who. Are. You?_"


	2. Put A Name To That Face

Another chapter is done! I apologize if it seems like it's jumping around too much. Hopefully it will flow better as the story progresses.

On a side note, Ezio is probably in his twenties or thirties in this fic. The story takes place about halfway through ACII, give or take.

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DISCLAIMER: I do not own Assassin's Creed, or any characters affiliated with the game. I do, however, own Lyndis.

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**The Silence in Between**

**_Chapter Two_: Put A Name To That Face**

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_The man towered over Lyn, glaring down at her with a dark look. "I am Ezio Auditore da Firenze," he boldly stated. "Now, you will answer me. Who. Are. You?"_

Lyn stood frozen, unable to form the words necessary to answer the Assassin's question. It wasn't a difficult question, but she wasn't sure how to handle it in this day and age. What was she supposed to say? 'Oh hey, I'm Lyndis. I'm from the future, and I magically got teleported back in time.' Yeah, _that_ would go over well. They'd probably think she was crazy, or a Templar.

No, no, no. Templars aren't real. Weren't real. _It's just a game_, Lyn told herself, shaking her head as she tried to sort through her thoughts.

_But the Assassins are real,_ a sole rebellious voice whispered in the back of her mind. _Ezio is real. If they're real, then the Templars might also exist._

"I must be dreaming," Lyn murmured, closing her eyes and exhaling heavily.

Apparently, the Assassin took issue with this statement, as he stomped forward, his hidden blade out and pressed against her neck. "Does this feel like a dream?" he snarled, clearly fed up with her avoiding the question.

Lyn decided she wasn't going to be bullied by this still-young Ezio. Sure, he could probably kill her in a heartbeat, but if she _was_ dreaming, she would just wake up. She narrowed her eyes at him, drawling, "Well, I have had some pretty weird dreams before…"

"_Enough,_" he hissed, pressing the blade harder against her throat, causing a slight cut. Lyn winced at the pain, noting that she didn't feel the usual tug of reality that came when one was close to death in dreams. That did not bode well. "I grow weary of your games, woman. Tell me who you are."

"My _name_ is Lyndis," she snapped back, standing as defiantly as she could. "And like I said earlier, I am _not_ an Assassin."

Ezio frowned, pulling his blade away from her throat and taking a step back. "I saw the whole scene with the Templar guard. He called you an _Assassino_ and told you to surrender or die. If you are not an _Assassino_, then why did you respond to the guard in such a manner?"

Lyn opened her mouth to reply, then stopped. Why _had_ she responded like that? The reaction had been instinctual. She wasn't even sure what she had said, truth be told.

"Instinct?" she finally offered up, shrugging her shoulders. That much was true. "I… didn't really know what I was saying. It just kinda… slipped out." She flexed her right hand, as if trying to will away the dull ache from smacking against the guard's head. Grinning sheepishly, she glanced back up at Ezio. "What… er… what did I say, exactly?"

Rather than the annoyed and possibly violent reaction she had been expecting, Ezio's lips twitched, pulling up into a lopsided smirk. "You said you would never surrender, and you called him a _bastardo_."

"Ah." That sounded about right. Lyn remembered feeling a bit of mirth towards the guard when she had uttered those words. She wasn't one to surrender, regardless of the situation. And she did swear like a sailor. Perhaps she should try to restrain herself next time. If there ever was a next time.

Her hands throbbed painfully again, and she tore her gaze from the Assassin, bringing her hands up to inspect them. Her right hand seemed fine, merely a bit swollen on one side. But her left hand was quite torn up. She made a sickened face as she examined the bleeding cuts on the underside of her fingers and palm from where she had gripped the blade. Why hadn't she just smacked the blade away?

Lyn heard Leonardo suck in a breath as she flexed her fingers experimentally, blood dripping onto the studio floor. "You are hurt," he cried out, sounding rather alarmed. "We need to patch that up immediately. Come." Lightly gripping her forearm, the artist tugged her through his studio, seating her before a table and gently ordering her to place both her hands in plain view. Lyn scowled as the artist gently inspected her hands, as if she would shatter at any moment.

"I'm not going to break…" she grumbled, pouting at being babied in such a way. "And I don't need your help."

"Nonsense," Leonardo announced, gathering some supplies and returning to the table. Wetting a cloth, he patted gingerly at her left hand, drawing a hiss from the girl. "You are injured, and need tending to. Goodness, you sound just like Ezio..."

Lyn would have grumbled, but she was too busy trying not to whine at the pain. Ezio had followed them into the room and was watching quietly from the doorway. Perhaps it was just foolish pride, but she didn't want to seem weak before the Assassin. She fixed her gaze on a random point on the wall, staring blankly ahead as the artist tended to her hands.

"So your name is Lyndis?" Leonardo finally questioned, tugging her from her thoughts. Lyn glanced at the blonde man, nodding her assent. "Such a strange name. It does not sound like any I have ever heard."

"It's Gaelic," she replied quietly, watching the artist deftly wrap her cleaned injuries. He tied off the bandages, and she flexed her fingers slightly, testing how much she could move them. Returning her gaze to the artist, she smirked as she asked, "Were my hair and complexion not enough of a hint?"

Leonardo laughed heartily, patting her arm gently and picking up the sullied rags. "So you hail from the land to the north and west of England. What was it called again… Ireland?" he called out from the other room.

"More or less." Technically, it wasn't a lie. Her ancestors were Irish, so in a loose sense, she was too.

"I see, I see!" Leonardo smiled, clapping his hands together as he reentered the room. "Though I still do not understand how you came to be here, or how you can speak _Italiano_. But, that can be sorted out later. For now, shall we eat?"

Lyn was about to refuse, but her stomach gurgled rather loudly as she opened her mouth. Snapping her jaw shut with a click, she nodded curtly, well aware of the crimson flush spreading across her face.

"_Bene_, I will prepare some repast for us," he grinned, bowing politely before leaving the room.

She stared after him for a moment, before she realized that the other man had not yet moved. Turning, Lyn met the assassin's inquisitive stare. "What?" she snapped, scowling at the Assassin. He still annoyed her, and she was getting rather tired of his games.

"Lyndis…" Ezio murmured in his deep baritone, putting unnecessary emphasis on the syllables. He frowned, as if the name felt odd to speak. Once again, he tested her name, rolling the vowels about as if tasting them. "Lyndis… Such an odd name."

"Y-yeah, I get that a lot," she muttered, fixing her gaze at the floor and brushing a few unruly locks of hair behind her ear. She felt her face flush once again, but for different reasons. After all, how else was she supposed to react when a drop-dead gorgeous assassin was testing out her name? It somehow sounded better when he spoke it, the letters dripping off his tongue like honey.

"Are you ashamed of your name?" he asked hesitantly, misconceiving Lyn's embarrassment for shame. Pushing off the wall, he walked over to where she stood. "Do not be," he tried to reassure her, grasping her chin and tilting her face up to meet his gaze. "It is a beautiful name. Odd, certainly, but beautiful nonetheless." His dark eyes flickered across her face, and she had to try her best to keep her face from turning beet red.

"A beautiful name fitting for a beautiful _signorita_," he murmured, his eyes coming to rest on her lips. Suddenly, he leaned in, dangerously close, his warm breath ghosting over her face. Lyn was certain that her heart had stopped.

But reality kicked back in as the helpful part of her brain reminded her of Ezio's history with women. Lyn spread her hands against his chest and pushed him back, a scowl furrowing her brow. Ezio blinked, seeming confused by her reaction.

"Don't think that I don't know what you're playing at," Lyn growled, stepping back and crossing her arms. "I know all about you, Ezio Auditore. And don't think for a second that I'm going to fall for your tricks like the other women that you've wooed."

Ezio seemed thoroughly surprised by this, staring rather stupidly at her. Lyn kept her glowering scowl focused on the Assassin, not bothering to explain how she knew about the man's sleazy reputation. Once again, explaining that she came from the future and happened to own a video game that featured this man as the main character was out of the question. "How do you - " he began, before Lyn shoved past him, waving her hand in the air as if to wave away the question.

"Your reputation travels fast, Assassin," she simply stated, casting a 'just-how-stupid-do-you-think-I-am' look back over her shoulder. Her voice took on a sharp edge as she continued. "Plus, what makes you think that I'll let you pull any of that crap when you threatened to kill me?"

"True," Ezio admitted, grinning like the Cheshire cat. "But I had to try, did I not?"

Lyn rolled her eyes, not bothering to respond as she stomped off into the kitchen. Leonardo was clattering around, seeming to grab whatever food was available and piling it onto plates. Most of it appeared to be breads and vegetables. Upon noticing the girl's presence, he turned around and bowed politely. "_Mi despiace, miei cari,_" he smiled rather bashfully, clasping his hands together nervously. "It seems that I am running low on food…"

"Don't worry about it," Lyn cut him off, smiling softly at the artist. "Whatever you prepare is fine. After all, I am intruding in _your_ home."

Leonardo seemed pleased by this, taking the plates of food out to the only clean table in the studio. He bustled about, preparing three places at the tiny table. Ezio, however, sulked as he leaned against the doorframe, grumbling, "What, no meat _again_? Leonardo, we really need to get you some decent food."

Lyn scowled, slapping the Assassin's arm as hard as she could as she stormed by. Ezio let out a yelp, apparently surprised that she would dare to hit him. Leonardo had stopped as well, staring wide-eyed at the girl as she sat defiantly at the table, arms crossed and head held high. Lyn glared at the artist, daring him to speak out against her. Instead, the blonde man laughed, shaking his head as he too seated himself at the table. "I like her," he grinned as he turned to the Assassin. "Where on earth did you find one as feisty as this?"

Grumbling under his breath, Ezio sat at the last remaining spot. He shot a glare at Lyn as his free hand kneaded the spot where she had smacked him. "She was running around the streets like an _idiota_," he growled, earning a return glare from the red-headed girl.

"Hm," Leonardo mused, munching quietly on a slice of bread. Lyn was suddenly reminded of how hungry she was, and quickly piled her plate high with food. Most of the food was things that she had never seen before, so she stuck mostly with the few vegetables that she recognized, and a couple slices of what appeared to be wheat bread. Without another word, she dug in, sighing contentedly as she ate. The food was delicious, and once she had finished everything on her plate, she began to experiment with the foods that she didn't recognize. She was still eating when the other two finished, their stares breaking her out of her food reverie.

"What?" she mumbled from around a chunk of bread, wondering why they were both staring so intently.

"You eat like you haven't touched food in weeks," the artist commented, the smile on his face quickly being replaced by a concerned frown. "What happened to you, _signorina_?"

"I…" Lyn trailed off, wondering where to begin. She couldn't tell the whole truth, but she could just leave out a few details. Gazing down at her hands, she continued. "I don't know. All I can remember is that I was outside, walking to my home, and then suddenly I was here."

"Were you kidnapped?" Ezio's voice was full of genuine concern, surprising her momentarily. She blinked, pondering the question. Had she been kidnapped? She didn't remember anyone coming up to her. But then again, she could have dreamed up some of what happened. In fact, she could be dreaming even now.

"It's possible," she admitted, frowning at the thought of this all being a dream. Could she be dreaming? But she'd never had dreams this vivid before. And the pain from earlier hadn't woken her up. Perhaps she was going mad…

"Lyndis?" Leonardo hesitantly called out, touching her shoulder lightly. Lyn blinked, snapping out of her thoughts at the touch.

"I'm fine..." she murmured, answering the unasked question. "I'm still a bit disoriented, that's all." A yawn snuck up on her, and she flushed slightly at such a slip. Like with her hunger, she had not realized how tired she was until now.

"I think you could do with some sleep," the artist smiled softly, helping her to her feet. "You can take the spare bedroom." At this, Ezio's head snapped up, a shocked look on his face.

"But that's my room!" he protested, only to be silenced with a glare from Leonardo.

"It is the _guest_ room," Leonardo shot back, eyes narrowed at the Assassin. "And as Lyndis is a _guest_, she shall be sleeping in there. _You_ can either sleep on the couch, or go home."

The young Italian opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it and crossed his arms, scowling as he slouched in his chair. Lyn would have laughed if she hadn't been so tired. As it was, she had to have Leonardo support her as he escorted her up the stairs. By the time they reached the guest bedroom, she was leaning heavily against the artist, her eyelids drooping. She felt relief flood her sleepy mind as she collapsed onto the bed, unconsciously burrowing her face into the fluffy pillow. God, the bed was so soft… Within seconds, she was out cold, a soft smile spread across her lips.

* * *

Lyn groaned as the sunlight streamed in through the windows, rousing her from her deep slumber. Rolling over, she buried her head into the pillow as she tried to go back to sleep. Sure, she was glad that it had _finally _stopped raining, but she wasn't quite ready to get up and go to class.

But something seemed off. As Lyn breathed in through her nose, she realized that the pillow her face was currently buried in smelled odd. It was a strange, musky odor, one that she couldn't really place. It reminded her of forests and earth and old books. It wasn't a bad smell, Lyn conceded as she breathed it in again, but it most definitely was not something that _her_ pillows would smell like.

This realization spurred her mind on to discover other things that were amiss. There were no sounds of traffic outside her window, no shouts from her neighbors, no hum of the air conditioner. Instead, she heard a quiet babble of people talking and laughing, an occasional chirp from birds, and the sound of wind chimes tinkling in the wind. Realization struck her, and she sat up rather violently, eyes darting around the room to confirm the dawning truth.

It hadn't all been a dream.

She was still in Venice.

Lyn sat quietly, staring at nothing as her awakening brain processed the information. So she really had somehow been sent back to 15th Century Italy. And apparently, Templars and Assassins were real. If all this was true, and she hadn't gone mad, why was she here? Was there a reason for her being transported back to this time and place?

She had no answers, and the endless questions were giving her a headache, so Lyn decided to drop it. Eventually she would figure it out. After all, she always did.

Lyn tugged at her still-damp clothes, frowning as she realized that she had nothing to change into. Perhaps there were some spare clothes in the closet. Pulling her jacket off and tossing it to the side, the red-headed girl opened the closet, rifling through its contents. All the clothes were men's clothes, to her dismay. Most of them, however, were white Assassin's robes, which confused her until she remembered Ezio's comment yesterday.

Ah, yes. Ezio slept in here often. That's why the bed had smelled so odd. Lyn blushed slightly as she recalled her initial reaction to the smell when she had woken up. Hesitantly, she grabbed the sleeve of one of the white Assassin's robes and brought it to her nose, sniffing experimentally. The smell was there too, fainter, but still present. Lyn wasn't sure why, but she liked it.

Shaking the strange thoughts from her head, she finally found something that she could wear. She had to roll up the pant legs and tighten the belt more than the past user had, but the clothes were doable. Renaissance wear was odd, Lyn decided as she looked in the mirror, tugging absentmindedly at the puffy white sleeves. But at least it wasn't as bad as wearing a dress. Her hair was still a mess, motivating her to find a hair tie of some kind to tame the wild curls. She eventually found a ribbon, deftly tying up her long red curls as best she could. Satisfied with her appearance, she left the room.

Lyn trotted quietly down the stairs, listening carefully for any signs of danger. Luckily, it seemed that the only person there was Leonardo. She could hear the artist humming to himself as he worked in the studio. Peering through an open door, Lyn found him painting. Or preparing to paint. The canvas was blank, to her surprise, and he was merely staring at it, stroking his goatee thoughtfully. She tapped her knuckles lightly against the doorframe, startling the artist out of his thoughts.

"Ah, Lyndis! _Buongiorno_," he smiled, striding over to grasp her hands lightly. Lyn decided that she liked the artist. He always seemed to be in a good mood, and he seemed to have a calming effect on those around him. Lyn couldn't help but smile back at the artist.

"_Buongiorno_," she replied back, releasing the man's hands.

"I assume you slept well?" Leonardo inquired.

"Yes, _grazie_. The guest room is very accommodating. Although, I think I could have been just about anywhere and still slept like a log," she admitted, grinning sheepishly.

The artist laughed heartily at this, and once again, Lyn couldn't help but grin. "Well, it's a good thing that Ezio brought you here then, _si_?" he chuckled.

"_Si…_" Lyn muttered, frowning at the thought of the Assassin. Even though she knew more about the man then she could disclose, she still was surprised to see his attitude firsthand. There was something about being in his presence that threw her off.

"Is something troubling you?" Leonardo asked hesitantly, interrupting her thoughts. Shaking her head, Lyn merely smiled back.

"No, I'm fine, _grazie_," she assured him. Wanting to change the subject, she pointed to the canvas that Leonardo had been staring at. "What were you working on before I interrupted you?"

"Ah, I was about to begin a commission. Come, I will show you what I have planned…"

Grinning, Lyn followed behind the artist, listening to him prattle on about his latest idea, and thoroughly enjoying herself.

* * *

Ezio trotted up to the back door of Leonardo's studio, yawning as he walked inside without knocking. It had been a long day for the young Assassin. He had spent all morning tracking his latest target, a rather wealthy man with connections to the Templar. Around midday, he had finally been able to strike, but not without attracting the attention of the guards. He had spent the rest of the day running from Templar agents. Exhausted from his efforts, all he wanted now was a bit of peace and quiet, and Leonardo's home offered both. His friend always let the Assassin stay when he needed a break from his work.

"Leonardo?" he called out absentmindedly, grabbing an apple off the counter as he trudged through the kitchen. The apples were fresh, which surprised Ezio, since the artist almost never had anything fresh. He always forgot to go shopping, and was either wrapped up in painting or in inventing. Ezio often had to drag the poor man out of his home to buy food or get supplies. He tossed the apple experimentally, before shrugging and taking a large bite. The apple was crisp and juicy, and a bit of juice ran down his chin. Wiping the sticky liquid away with the back of his hand, he paused as he heard laugher from another room.

Ezio froze, cocking his head to the side as he listened. One laugh was definitely Leonardo, but the other was a voice he did not recognize. It sounded female, which surprised him. The artist rarely showed interest in women, and almost never kept their company. He quietly stepped forward a bit, crouching slightly as he listened intently. The female spoke again, and he recognized the voice as the woman he had saved the other day.

Ah, so she was still here? Ezio scowled as he remembered the girl's fiery gaze that matched her hair. She was a strange one, that much was certain. He wasn't quite sure what to think of her, to be honest. One minute she seemed kind, the next condescending. He had noticed that she only acted cruelly towards him, which greatly irritated him. What was Leonardo doing that was drawing her affections away from him? After all, he was Ezio Auditore da Firenze. No woman could escape his charms.

Except this one, apparently. He scowled as he took another bite out of his apple, crossing his arms as he contemplated the fierce girl. Ezio was willing to admit that he liked her. She possessed all the qualities that he liked in women. She was feisty, which he thoroughly enjoyed. After all, bedding a boring, calm girl was no fun. Not only that, but she was smart. She had been able to see through his wooing act so easily. Once again, girls who were easy to woo weren't as much fun to go after. But never before had someone brushed aside his compliments so easily. She was beautiful too. Her red hair and sapphire eyes were a rarity here, and the combination had been stunning.

But she acted like she wasn't interested in him in the slightest. And it frustrated him so.

Shaking his head, the Assassin let the thought slip his mind. He walked into the studio with a smirk, calling out, "What, entertaining company without me, _amico_?"

And then he stopped dead in the doorway.

Leonardo was doing nothing out of the ordinary. He was, as per usual, seated at his desk, pouring over the countless sketches that covered the wooden desktop. He had a grin on his face, and was chuckling at something that Lyndis had said moments before. And Lyndis…

Lyndis was standing on the other side of the room, a sword in her right hand. She appeared to have been twirling it about foolishly, because she almost dropped the blade as Ezio walked into the room. He wasn't so much alarmed by what she had been doing as to what she was wearing. She had changed from her strange clothes into some of his older clothes, similar to the ones he had worn in Florence. The baggy white shirt, which hung loosely on him, hung even looser on her, even with the blue embroidered vest. The pants were a bit big too, but she had cinched up the belt and boots to make up for that. Her long flowing locks had been haphazardly tied back with a ribbon, but a few rebellious strands had escaped, framing her face.

Ezio didn't want to admit it, but she looked beautiful.

He didn't realize he was staring until Lyndis cocked an eyebrow and cleared her throat, commenting dryly, "You might want to close your mouth before something flies in there."

Ezio quickly snapped his mouth shut, glowering at the girl as he snarled, "Why are you wearing my clothes?"

"They were the only things Leo had that fit," she shrugged, sounding nonchalant. Her actions were betrayed, however, by a faint blush that spread across her cheeks. He decided not to mention it, thought, instead filing away the information away for future use.

Leonardo, who had finished laughing, turned to the Assassin, a stupid grin still plastered to his face. "Ah, you missed it," he chuckled, his grin spreading wider as he addressed Ezio. "Lyndis was demonstrating her skills with a blade. Along with her skills of impersonation."

Lyndis twirled the sword again, a grin creeping back onto her face. "_Nulla è reale, tutto è lecito,_" she drawled with an intentionally deepened voice, thrusting the sword forward through an imaginary enemy. Ezio scowled as he realized that she was supposed to be impersonating him. Rolling his eyes, he crossed his arms and turned to leave, before a thought struck him. It was a foolish notion, but the idea intrigued him, and he was feeling rather malicious as a result of the teasing. Spinning around, he threw the half-eaten apple in the girl's direction.

He expected her to panic, at least a little, and swing the sword around wildly. But instead, Lyndis snapped to attention, swinging the sword up in one clean stroke. The apple imbedded itself on the dulled blade, sticking as she finished the swing. Both men stared at her with incredulous looks. "Nice try," she commented, her voice even as she lowered the blade and tugged the apple off. Tossing it in her hand, she inspected the fruit before finding an uneaten section and taking a bite. "But don't think you'll catch me off guard so easily, _Assassino_."

With that, she sauntered out of the room, her head held high as she brushed past Ezio. Both he and Leonardo looked after her as she waltzed off. "What on earth is she?" the Assassin murmured.


	3. Close Encounters

Oh lookit. I wrote some more.

~OHOHOHOHO, I'm so fabulous~

I'm quite pleased with this chapter, for reasons that you will soon discover.

Sexual tension, awwww yeahhhhh~

Also, as a side note, the outfit that I envision Lyndis wearing at this current moment in the story is Ezio's Florentine Noble Attire. I loved that outfit. :3

* * *

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Assassin's Creed, or any characters affiliated with the game. I do, however, own Lyndis.

* * *

**The Silence in Between**

**_Chapter Three_: Close Encounters**

* * *

A few days after her strange arrival in Venice, Lyn discovered something very troubling.

She was bored.

Sitting in Leonardo's studio had entertained her for a while, but she had quickly discovered everything there was to know about the tiny complex. She was starting to develop cabin fever, and wandered about the studio aimlessly, wanting to just take a walk but knowing that she couldn't. She had no idea where she was in the city, and if – no, when – she got lost, she would be stranded, unless Leonardo or Ezio happened upon her.

So she was forced to make do with pacing. After a few circles around the studio where Leonardo was working on his latest commission, he eventually glanced back with an irritated scowl.

"Do you need something to do?" he had snapped, his irritation clear.

Lyn had all but jumped on the chance to actually _do_ something. Unfortunately, the artist had merely ushered her out to the yard beside his studio and asked her to pick up the garbage from the grassy courtyard. The locals had made a habit of leaving their unwanted items here before Leonardo had bought the studio, and he stated that he was tired of dealing with broken swords and smelly clothes whenever he came out to paint outside.

Lyn secretly thought that he was just using this as an excuse to get her out of his hair.

Grumbling bitterly, she had nonetheless set to work, picking through the piles of old materials. She worked diligently, and it only took her till noon to get most of the garbage out of the courtyard. However, in her rummaging, she had found a few interesting items, which she had kept as opposed to tossing them out. Once her work was done, she sat cross-legged on the grass, inspecting the items before her. It was nothing special, mostly just silly things that looked interesting. A broken angel figurine, a rusty silver hairpiece, and an intricately carved candlestick were among the things she found. She inspected each with care, running her fingers over each and caressing the items much like a child would with a beloved toy.

But there were other things, things that could have some use. An old book, the letters so faded in some parts that the words were almost intelligible. A beautiful scabbard sans sword, decorated with silver and gold. A pair of metal bracers, rusted and worn from age and use, but the designs still clearly visible, as if they had been crafted yesterday.

And last, but not least, a bow and quiver, both in perfect condition. Granted, the bow was small, and was probably crafted for a child, but her hands practically melded to the grip, as if it had been made just for her. It was simple, without a design or color on either piece, but it was still beautiful. And the string was still taunt. Lyn plucked absentmindedly at it, wondering if she could teach herself to use a bow. She had snagged a few arrows from the garbage pile, and the prospect of trying out the bow nagged in the back of her mind like a fly until she finally submitted. Moving the other items out of the way, Lyn lugged a practice dummy out to the far edge of the yard and positioned herself several paces away.

And after several hours of failed attempts, _she still couldn't hit the damn target_.

Lyn let another arrow fly, snaring in annoyance as it pathetically fell in an arc, not coming even close to the dummy. Growling angrily under her breath, she stalked across the yard, snatching up the arrows that were scattered across the ground. Returning to her position, she glared at the target as she notched another arrow.

"This time," she hissed, not for the first time that afternoon. "This time, I _will_ hit you."

"From your record so far, I highly doubt that." Lyn jumped as a familiar baritone rumbled out from behind her. Spinning around, she saw Ezio leaning against the wall, hood down and that annoying lopsided smirk on his face.

"How long have you been there?" she snapped, not in the mood to deal with the Assassin's games.

"Long enough. Your form is off," he commented, pushing off the wall and striding forward. Lyn marveled for a moment at how gracefully he moved. Even something as simple as walking looked incredibly fluid. Stopping a few feet away, he cocked an eyebrow expectantly. "Draw the bow like you did before."

Breaking her gaze away, she shifted back into her stance, notching the arrow and drawing it back as far as she could. She heard Ezio click his tongue and felt him shift behind her.

"You're doing it wrong. Don't fight against the bow." Suddenly he was right behind her, his hands on hers, guiding her. "And don't just use your arms. Put your entire body's strength behind the draw." Lyn tried not to shiver as his breath ghosted over her neck. She growled at herself internally for getting so distracted, doing her best focused on the way he was guiding her. They held the position for a moment, allowing Lyn to pinpoint how she was supposed to draw the bow. She froze when she suddenly felt the Assassin's lips by her ear. "Now, take a deep breath," he murmured in that oh-so-silky voice. Lyn hadn't really needed prompting for that one; she had been holding her breath almost the whole time. "As you exhale, release the arrow."

Lyn stared straight ahead, trying not to think of the man standing behind her, guiding her, whispering things into her ear. She tried her best to imagine that the dummy was one of the guards from the other day, tried to imagine that it was going to kill her if she didn't strike first. Releasing her breath, she let the arrow fly. To her surprise, it flew straight and true, imbedding itself into the dummy's chest.

"See?" Ezio chuckled, releasing her hands and straightening to his full height. A huge grin spread across Lyn's face. It had been so _easy_, once the Assassin had shown her what to do. She spun around, with every intention to gush about her achievement, only to find that Ezio was still standing a few mere inches from her. She blinked up at him, the grin slowly falling from her face as she noticed the man staring down at her with a shock similar to her own. Her eyes flickered across his face, taking in every detail, from the brown flecks in his amber eyes to the faint scar on his lip. Similarly, she saw his eyes scanning her, although from the looks of it, his focus was not solely on her face.

As they stood, neither one moving, something compelled her to reach up and touch the scar on his lip. She trailed her fingertips over the lighter flesh above his lip, tracing down the scar. Ezio froze as her fingertips reached his lips, and his tongue darted out on instinct. Glancing up from the slightly raised flesh, she saw his eyes locked on hers, a hesitant look in those amber depths. He raised a hand to her face, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Her hand fell to rest against his broad chest, and he leaned in closer. A part of Lyn's mind screamed at her to back away and stop this, but the rebellious part of her mind whispered for her to meet the Assassin halfway. As it was, she remained frozen in place, unable to move even as Ezio inched closer, both his hands now cupping her face. He stopped mere millimeters from her, his warm breath ghosting over her face as the tip of his nose brushed against hers.

The part of her mind that had been screaming for her to pull away conveniently shut up.

And yet, just as she felt him lean even closer and brush his lips against hers, she heard a familiar voice calling her name, and she instinctively shoved Ezio away. He staggered back a step, a hurt look flashing across his face before his usual mask of uncaring settled down. Leonardo came around the corner, his perturbed look quickly changing into a grin as he saw the two standing in the courtyard. "Ah, there you are," he smiled, trotting over to stand before them. His smile faded, however, when he noticed Lyn's flushed face. "Are you alright? You look -"

"I'm fine," Lyn snapped, cutting him off. Sucking in a breath to compose herself, she flashed him a weary smile. "I just spent too much time outside in the heat, that's all."

"Ah, yes," the artist nodded, accepting her excuse. His blue eyes flickered down to the bow still clutched in her left hand. "You found something worth keeping in all that garbage?"

Lyn cast a glance at Ezio, who was busy inspecting his hidden blade for any damage. "Yes," she murmured, breaking her gaze away to stare at the bow right as the Assassin looked back at her. "I think so."

"May I?" Leonardo asked, holding out his hand. Lyn nodded, relinquishing the weapon to him and watching in awe as he inspected the bow with a trained eye.

"Hm. This bow is quite old. It's quite sturdy to have lasted this long," the artist finally commented, turning the weapon over in his hands. "You should throw it out. I don't know if it will last much longer."

"I don't care," Lyn growled, grabbing the bow back from the blonde and clutching it to her chest. Noticing the stares of both men, she muttered, "It has character."

Ezio threw back his head and laughed, grinning down at her. "Then I guess you two will get along well, eh?" Not waiting for a response, he stalked off towards the studio, calling out over his shoulder, "I have something interesting for you, Leonardo. You'll definitely want to see this."

Leonardo's interest piqued, he darted off after his friend, leaving Lyn standing alone in the yard to wonder what she was going to do now.

* * *

Several days had passed since the archery incident. Lyndis was still staying with Leonardo, much to Ezio's chagrin. Her argument was that since she had no clue as to how she had gotten here or how to get around the city, she shouldn't be wandering around without a guide. While her argument made perfect sense, Ezio just wished that it wasn't Leonardo acting as the guide. It meant that she would _always_ be around, throwing snide comments into conversations as she passed, making inside jokes with the artist, and overall being an annoyance. Ezio had started to dread going to see Leonardo just because he knew _that woman_ would be there.

And yet, he still went back, every single time. Normally, had a woman resisted his courting this much, he would have backed down. But something compelled him to pursue her. Call it a hunch, but he somehow knew that if he didn't let up, she would eventually give in. Perhaps it was just residual emotion from the almost-kiss a few days ago, but he felt that she didn't dislike him like she kept insisting. There had to be some part of her that was drawn to him, just as he was drawn to her.

Yet, he was unsure of how to go about courting her. The normal approach was clearly out, as she had blatantly shot him down on the numerous times that he had tried. The most recent attempt had ended in Lyndis stalking away furiously and Ezio on the ground, praying that his balls were still intact after such a kick.

Instead, Lyn seemed to react more when Ezio was simply being himself. He often caught her staring in wonder at him when he laughed at the foolish things Leonardo said, or when he sat relaxing after a mission, or even when he was leafing through a book out of boredom. It was truly strange, and he would have wondered about her reactions, had he the time. But these past few days had been busy. He had been tracking one of the elite members of the Templar order, and staying alive required all of his concentration. Now that his research was complete, he was planning on relaxing with his old friend and taking a day off before the assassination was to take place. He both dreaded and longed to see Lyndis as well, but that thought slipped his mind as he dashed across the rooftops, allowing his feet to carry him as his mind wandered.

Ezio jumped lightly down from the rooftops, landing in the yard next to Leonardo's studio. Having expected no one to be in the tiny plaza, he was surprised to discover that he was not alone. He suddenly noticed Lyndis, still wearing his old clothes, lying on her back across a bench, her hand drooping toward a bucket beside her. Her eyes were closed, and she had a content smile on her face.

He was glad that she had her eyes closed, because otherwise she would have made fun of him staring.

"What brings you here at this time of day, _Assassino_?" she suddenly murmured, startling him out of his thoughts. How had she noticed his presence? He was sure that he hadn't made a sound. One sapphire eye cracked open to look at him curiously, reminding him that she had asked a question.

"Do I need a reason to visit my friend?" he scowled, crossing his arms and glaring at the girl. Her eyes slid shut again as the smile on her face widened into a smirk and she chuckled lightly.

"_You_ do. You never come here unless you want something."

Ezio opened his mouth to protest, but then realized that she was right. He didn't ever visit Leonardo for the sake of seeing his friend. He always came asking for favors, like decrypting a Codex page or shelter from the city guards. Huffing out an annoyed breath, he glared at the girl, frustrated with how easily she saw these things.

He was about to storm off when he noticed that she was munching on something. Lyndis rolled a small reddish-brown ball between her fingers before popping it into her mouth, and practically moaning at the taste. Ezio could feel a flush seeping across his face at the sounds she was making. Clearing his throat, he asked in as steady a voice he could muster, "What are you eating?"

"Chocolate-covered pomegranate," she mumbled, grabbing another one from the bucket beside her. "One of Leo's commissioners stopped by today and gave them to him as a gift. He didn't want them, so he let me have them." Having finished the first one, she popped the next bite into her mouth, sighing happily as she did so. "They're heavenly."

Ezio could only imagine.

In an attempt to distract himself from the thoughts that plagued his mind, Ezio stalked across the yard, busying himself with inspecting a rosebush. Lyndis sighed happily again, and the Assassin grated his teeth, trying to will away the thought that she sounded like she had just been pleasured. Why he didn't just go inside the studio, he couldn't say. Perhaps he was still curious as to why she was outside. Certainly, it was a lovely day, but even so, there were better places to be than here.

As if she had read his mind, he heard her speak. "It's been a while since I've gotten to just sit in the sun. Where I live, it's almost always raining. The sun hardly ever comes out."

"That sounds… depressing," Ezio commented, frowning at the thought of living in a place with no sun. Such a fate seemed horrendous. The sun was part of what made Italy so lively, in his opinion.

Lyndis laughed. "It was," she admitted. "It was even worse for me because I grew up in a sunny place like this. I wasn't used to not seeing the sun." She paused, and the Assassin began to wonder if she had drifted off to sleep. He turned to see what had silenced her, and saw her staring up at the sky. "I forgot how warm it was…" she murmured quietly, her expression thoughtful.

A moment of silence passed, before Lyndis finally let out one last sigh, pulling herself up into a sitting position. "I shouldn't stay out here for too long, though. I don't want to sunburn." Grabbing her bucket of delicacies, she stood, running one hand through her hair and brushing the ever-rebellious locks out of her face before turning to Ezio. "Shall we?" she grinned at the Assassin and extending her arm mockingly as if she expected him to take it and guide her along. Ezio smirked playfully, walking over and bowing far deeper than normal, flourishing his hands as he did.

"I would be honored, _signora_," he drawled, winding his arm around hers and practically prancing off. Lyndis laughed, trotting to keep up with her taller escort. At the doorway, Ezio stopped, knocking on the door as a normal individual would, instead of simply letting himself in. He glanced down at the girl, cocking an eyebrow as he silently asked if that was any better than his usual behavior.

"Look at you, finally learning some manners," Lyndis sneered, but the light smile on her face told the Assassin that he had done right.

As they waited for the artist to finish whatever he was attending to and answer the door, an awkward silence fell over the two. Ezio shifted uncomfortably, realizing just how close Lyndis was. Lyndis shifted as well, clearly just as uncomfortable as he was. He suddenly realized that he was still holding her arm, and he felt a twinge of disappointment as she tugged her arm out from under his. Clearing his throat uncomfortably, he crossed his arms, wondering what on earth was taking Leonardo so long.

"Do you want some of these?" she suddenly blurted out. Ezio blinked down at her, surprised by the outburst and confused as to what she meant. It took him a moment to realize that she was holding the bucket of chocolates out. He nodded, silently wondering what had provoked this, and moved to hold out his hand, only to find a chocolate right in front of his face. Lyndis held the treat inches from his mouth, a strange expression on her face. Ezio felt a slight flush heat his cheeks as he realized that she was planning on feeding it to him. Sorely wishing that his hood was still up to hide behind, he leaned forward, carefully taking the sweet from her with his teeth. Popping the chocolate back into his mouth, he rolled it around with his tongue, frowning as a bitter taste filled his mouth. Wasn't chocolate supposed to be sweet? After a moment, he bit down on the sweet, and was surprised to find that the juice from the fruit completely changed the flavor of the treat. A perfect balance of sweet and bitter flooded his mouth, and he finished the chocolate eagerly, his tongue darting out to capture any last lingering of the sweet.

"It's good, right?" Lyndis asked softly. Ezio glanced back down at her, noting how she was watching him intently, a tiny blush tinting her cheeks. He nodded again, unsure if his voice would work. Without another word, she offered another one in the same way as before. Once again, Ezio leaned forward, capturing the candy with his teeth. But this time, either he didn't pull back in time or she forgot to let go, and his lips closed around the tips of her fingers. Lyndis's breath hitched, and Ezio froze, both unsure of what to do.

At that moment, the door flew open, and Leonardo strode out, his usual greeting dying on his lips at the sight before him. Both of them jerked away, and Ezio accidentally swallowed, wincing in pain as the small candy lodged in his throat. Coughing in pain, he clutched his stomach, bending over to hide his surely beet red face. Lyndis was clutching the bucket of candies with a death grip, her entire face a deep shade of pink.

"Well," Leonardo commented after Ezio had finally managed to swallow the chocolate. A smirk tugged up the corners of the artist's mouth, and he cocked an eyebrow at the two. "Looks like _someone_ was enjoying themselves." Without a word, Lyndis stormed inside, shoving rather violently past the blonde and stomping up the stairs. Ezio heard the guest bedroom door slam rather violently, and he glanced up, still panting for air. Leonardo looked down at him with an uncharacteristic grin on his face.

"Oh, you two are just adorable," he laughed, turning and walking back inside. Groaning to himself, Ezio trudged inside after the artist, sullenly wondering how badly he was going to pay for that slip-up later.


	4. Compromise

So I'm gonna jump on the bandwagon and start replying to reviews, lol

** Twonormalgirlsandaiportal: **AWESOME. I was waiting for a reaction like that. To be honest, I enjoy writing Lyn and Ezio's stupid shenanigans waaaaay too much. Especially stupid shenanigans like last chapter. SEXUAL TENSION AWWWW YEAHHHH~

**NoirAnakin **and **Malaika Al-Sayf: **ERMAGAWD, THANK YOUUUU. I'm glad that you're enjoying the story. And I will try to update as soon as I can. But it all depends on the ol' inspiration. If that craps out, I'm kinda screwed, lol.

And to **Guest **who posted on Chapter 2, as you can tell, I'm continuing with this story, lol.

But anywho, onward to this chapter! Also titled: In Which Ezio Is A Whore And Leonardo Keeps Popping In At The Wrong Time And Ruining The Mood. Because he does. All the time. I don't feel bad about that at all.

I also don't feel bad about not translating the Italian that I throw in here. Because I literally went to Google Translate and started typing shit in, so it's probably wrong.

And now things finally start getting somewhere in this story. Jeez.

* * *

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Assassin's Creed, or any characters affiliated with the game. I do, however, own Lyndis.

* * *

**The Silence in Between**

**_Chapter Four_: Compromise**

* * *

"Your husband is a lucky man."

Lyn almost dropped the apples she had been inspecting. Spluttering, she tried to keep the inevitable blush from her face as she forced out, "E-excuse me?"

The owner of the fruit stall gave her a knowing look. "Don't bother denying it, dear. A beautiful young woman such as yourself is sure to have already been snatched up. Like I said, your husband is lucky."

Lyn could feel the heat creeping onto her face, and she quicky averted her gaze, unsure of what to say. Of all the awkward conversations to be stuck in, it _had_ to be this one, didn't it? Cursing Leonardo for the 50th time that day, she glared down at the emerald dress that hugged her figure. Why on earth did the artist make her wear such a thing? She was only going to the market to get food, after all. There was no need to dress up. Besides, the dress was constricting and gaudy, but Leonardo kept gushing that it looked "charming" on her.

She didn't _want_ to look charming. She wanted to be able to blend with the crowd.

"No, you're mistaken," Lyn stated, setting the apples back into the crate. "I'm not married."

"Oh? No need to be modest, dear." The fruit stall woman simply wasn't buying it. "That dress looks quite expensive, and looks positively gorgeous on you. Clearly, your husband bought it for you." As Lyn opened her mouth to protest, she held up a hand, cutting her off quickly. "Or your lover, if that's the case."

If it was possible, Lyn turned an even darker shade of red.

"I'll take 6," she announced, a bit louder than was necessary, desperately trying to change the subject. Fishing for change in the coin purse that Leonardo had given to her, she tossed the money to the woman, snatching up the apples and tossing them in her basket. With a last nod to the gossiping woman, she quickly trotted away from the stand.

What was worse was this wasn't the first time someone had asked if she was married. The others had been a bit more subtle about their approach, but the effect was the same. Lyn would stumble on her words and deny their claims, but her reaction made them believe that she was merely being modest. It infuriated her that they all assumed that she was married, but at least it had saved her from being hit on.

"Ohh, what do we have here?" a deep voice drawled from behind her. Lyn ignored it and pressed onward, only to find herself surrounded by a gang of men. They all wore relatively fine clothes, so she assumed that they were from relatively wealthy families. Clutching her basket tighter, she narrowed her eyes and held her head high, refusing to focus on any of the men.

"Let me pass," she demanded, keeping her voice monotone.

In response, the group chuckled collectively, leaving Lyn with a sinking feeling in her gut. "But we couldn't let a lovely _signora_ like yourself walk all alone, now could we?" the leader of the group drawled. He grabbed her arm and spun her around, his tiny eyes giving her a once-over. Lyn scowled darkly at him, and was sorely tempted to kick him in the family jewels, but that would end in a fight, and she was sorely outnumbered. "And what a _bella signora_ you are…" he grinned suggestively. Lyn gasped as he wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her flush against him. She grimaced as his nasty breath filled her nose, his ugly face inches from her own.

"_Vaffanculo, figlio di puttana_," she spat, struggling to pull herself from the man's grip.

"_Oi! Cosa diavolo pensi che stai facendo, bastardo?_"

Lyn froze, recognizing the voice almost instantly. She felt another pair of hands tear her away from the nasty man, and huffed out a breath as she was clutched against another body. Glancing up, she surprised to see Ezio, face uncovered, and a dark glare directed toward the group of men.

"If you ever touch her again, I'll cut your hearts out and feed them to the dogs," he snarled. Lyn was shocked by the force of his words. Where the hell had this come from?

The men clearly didn't want to mess with Ezio, even if he wasn't brandishing any weapons. They began to back up slowly, but made no move to leave completely until the Assassin casually flicked aside his cape, revealing his sword. At this, the leader of the group growled angrily under his breath and stormed off, taking the rest of his posse with him. Once their backs were turned, Lyn relaxed in Ezio's grip, leaning heavily against him.

"I told you she was married!" the fruit stand shopkeeper called after the retreating figures, causing Lyn to redden once again. Ezio cocked an eyebrow, silently asking what she was talking about. But much to Lyn's surprise, though, he played along with the woman's assumption. He spun her around, holding her out at arm's length and inspecting her closely.

"Are you alright, _amore_?" he asked, his expression somehow softer than before. Lyn gaped numbly for a moment before nodding silently, unable to actually form words from embarrassment. At her confirmation, Ezio pulled her in for a hug, planting a light kiss on the crown of her head and burying his face into her hair before murmuring, "Thank god. I was worried about you."

Lyn vaguely wondered if it was possible to die from embarrassment.

After what felt like an eternity – an eternity of torture – Ezio finally relinquished his hold on her, albeit rather reluctantly. Taking her arm in his, he ushered her off, casually guiding her back toward Leonardo's studio. Once they were down a deserted back alley, Lyn jerked her arm out of his, stomping angrily ahead.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ezio growled, throwing his arm up in front of her and cutting her off. Lyn tried to go back the way she had come, but his other arm was there. He had both palms pressed against the stone wall on either side of her head, blocking off any chance of an easy escape. His position caused him to lean forward, his face uncomfortably close to her own. Lyn felt herself pressing as hard as she could against the wall in an attempt to shy away from him.

"Away from you," she hissed, narrowing her eyes at the smirk on his face. "Why the hell did you pull that stunt back there?"

Ezio's eyes twinkled with amusement, and he tilted his head to the side, his gaze flickering down her form. Lyn shuddered at the blatant once-over, but she wasn't disgusted like she had been with the ugly man from earlier. "I was just having a bit of fun, _piccolo_," he teased, his warm breath ghosting over her face and making her shiver. "What's wrong with that?" he murmured, leaning in closer to brush his lips lightly over hers for just a fraction of a second.

Lyn's breath caught in her throat, and she tried to focus on why she had been so mad before. The Assassin moved back in for a second, deeper kiss, when she suddenly heard footsteps in the alley, and a snort of poorly-suppressed laughter. Ezio growled and pulled back, glaring daggers at the blonde man.

"_Che diavolo_, Leonardo?" he snarled. The artist merely shook his head and waltzed on by, chortling with laughter. By the time he had turned back, Lyn had already made herself scarce.

* * *

Lyn looked down from the rooftop, trying to quell the nausea that was squirming its way up her throat. She stared down at the hay bale, a scant three stories below her, but suddenly seeming so far away. In that moment, she suddenly admired Ezio for being able to jump fearlessly from the rooftops. For her, the ground seemed to be spinning and getting even further away with every passing second. Sucking in a breath, she tore her eyes away from the ground and took a shaky step back, wondering again why she had decided to climb up here.

Oh, that's right. Ezio.

It was always because of Ezio.

Lyn had noticed the bale of hay beside the far wall of the yard adjacent to Leonardo's studio a few weeks back. Recalling how hay bales were conveniently placed wherever Ezio leapt from buildings, she had taken an interest in the building, and inadvertently discovered the Assassin's entry point for the studio. Whenever he visited, he would come soaring down from above, landing lightly in the hay and leaping out like it was nothing. Lyn had taken to watching the building out the window, hoping for just a glimpse of the Assassin in action.

On one of her gazing sessions, she had noticed the Assassin perched on the roof. He had stayed up there for quite a long time, simply staring off into the distance. She had vaguely wondered what was up there that had captured the man's attention in such a way. Curiosity, along with boredom, got the better of her, and she had ventured outside on one of the days that she was certain Ezio wouldn't show up, attempting to scale the walls.

Free climbing had turned out to be a lot harder than it looked. The Assassin made it look so easy, but by the time Lyn had reached the first story, her arms and hands were aching from the effort. She prided herself on her athleticism, but even her strength wasn't enough to get her up the walls. The first few days, she had been forced to abandon her endeavor, dropping harshly to the ground below. Many a nasty glare had been cast at the wall, but Lyn hadn't given up. In her free time (which she had quite a lot of these days), she began to train. She woke early, tackling the wall almost daily. When she wasn't trying to climb, she was practicing her archery, and when she wasn't doing that, she was performing strengthening exercises. She wasn't sure why she was pushing herself in such a way, but the easiest explanation was pride. Lyn would readily admit that she was a proud creature, and when something insulted her pride, either directly or indirectly, she was always willing to do whatever it took to better herself and salvage her pride.

So when she spent countless hours outside in the blistering sun, training to scale that wall, she merely told herself that it was all because of pride. She didn't want to think of any alternative reason, no matter how much more logical it might seem. She didn't want to even entertain the idea that she was trying to impress the Assassin, who had grown more distant over the passing weeks. She knew that his distance should have made her feel better, as she had been the one to discourage him, but she felt the opposite. Lyn was shocked to discover that she actually _liked_ being around the Assassin.

But she pushed away such thoughts, instead focusing on the task at hand. She had an obstacle to overcome, and she was going to overcome it if it was the last thing that she did.

And after weeks upon weeks of training, she had finally managed to climb to the top of the wall. Now she stood on the rooftop, looking over the edge and instantly regretting her decision.

There was no way she was jumping down there.

Stepping backward, Lyn tried to calm herself by focusing on her surroundings. As she did, she suddenly realized why Ezio spent most of his time on the rooftops. It was beautiful up here. The sun was setting, casting a haze of reds and yellows over the city. From here, she could see everything: the streets, the canals, even some buildings that couldn't be seen from ground level. It was exactly what she had pictured Venice to look like, and it was stunning.

Lyn stood for a moment, drinking the scene in. As the sun drew even closer to the horizon, she quickly realized that she would soon have no way of finding a safe way down. Darting across the rooftop, Lyn soon discovered that Ezio's way of getting down was the only _safe_ way of getting down.

Go figure.

Her gaze fixed back on the hay bale, Lyn took a deep breath, cursing the fear that set her pulse racing. It was simple. All she had to do was jump. The hay bale was deep enough that it would cushion her blow, to some extent.

Her mind seemed to latch on to the "some extent" portion of her last thought, screaming that such tricks only worked in video games.

But she had seen Ezio do it. Sure, most of the times she had witnessed him doing the Leap of Faith had been from the comfort of her couch, but she had also seen him do it in this reality. It _was_ possible.

She chanted this in her head as she stepped up to the edge. Closing her eyes, she recalled the way the Assassin moved as he launched himself off the roof. Sucking in one last breath, she let her weight pull her forward, her arms spread wide as she let gravity take hold. The air whipped past her face, and she tumbled through the air, letting herself flip until her face was once again skyward. As soon as it had begun, it ended. Lyn yelped as she slammed into the hay bale, pain lancing through her body as she hit hard, knocking the breath out of her body. She lay in the hay for a while, gasping for breath and checking to see if anything was broken. She was sore, certainly, and would be feeling the effects for days, but she had done it. A stupid grin spread across her face, and she couldn't help but laugh quietly at her success.

"Lyndis!" A sudden shout drew her from her thoughts, and she tilted her head up to see who the voice belonged to. It couldn't be Leonardo; he was out for the day. She was surprised to see Ezio running over, a worried look on the visible half of the Assassin's face. He skidded to a halt beside the hay, ripping his hood off and falling quickly to his knees beside her to check on her. "Are you alright? What on earth were you doing?"

"Did you see?" Lyn giggled, still slightly giddy from her fall. "I did it. I did a Leap of Faith."

Ezio just stared for a moment, as if her reaction had caught him off guard. "It was more of a fall than a leap," he replied slowly, concern quickly being replaced by anger. "Do you mean to say that you did that on purpose?"

"Yup," Lyn grinned, popping the 'p' and looking expectantly back up at the Assassin. She wasn't sure what she was expecting. Perhaps praise for a job well done. Or a sly grin accompanied by a snide comment.

But she most certainly was not expecting Ezio's actual reaction. The Assassin grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, shaking her as he shouted, "_Figlio di puttana!_ What the hell were you thinking, _stupido bambino_? Only trained Assassins are supposed to attempt something like that! You could have seriously hurt yourself!"

"But I didn't," she frowned, starting to dislike his reaction. She batted away one of Ezio's hands, leaning up to glare at the Assassin. "And since when are you a 'trained Assassin'? From what I remember, you're just a _bambino_ yourself, stumbling along blindly after your father."

Ezio looked visibly hurt by these words, and Lyn instantly regretted her outburst. "I have more training than _you_, _monello_," he spat, jabbing a finger against her collarbone. "And at least _I_ have a purpose. _You _are just a nobody, wandering around blindly, waiting for someone to guide you."

That pissed Lyn off. Yes, it was true, but it still irritated the hell out of her. "Don't call me a fucking brat," she snarled, inches away from his face. Lyn was too angry to notice the flicker of something besides anger in Ezio's amber eyes. If she had, she might have been prepared for his reaction to her screaming in his face.

Ezio suddenly seized the collar of her shirt, yanking her forward and crashing his lips against hers. Lyn, having been caught completely off-guard, gasped against the kiss, giving him the chance to slip his tongue into her mouth. She couldn't help but close her eyes and moan as Ezio put his talented tongue to good use. She felt his hands move from her collar, one twining in the hair at the base of her neck, tilting her head slightly for a better angle. The other hand slid down her side, cupping the small of her back and pulling her flush against him. She would have protested, or tried to push away, but she was still a bit giddy from her fall, and the adrenaline was clouding her judgement.

Plus, he was _so good_ at kissing.

Lyn allowed her hands to roam, pressing both her hands flat against his chest and admiring the hardened muscle that she felt underneath the layers of clothing that he wore. She felt a deep rumble in Ezio's throat, something akin to a purr, as she ran her hands across his chest, mapping it out by touch alone. The sound sent shivers down her spine, and she continued to trail her hands across his body, trying to elicit another purr from the hardened Assassin. She suddenly felt herself falling backwards again, falling heavily on her back into the hay again. Her vision spun from a lack of oxygen, and Ezio must have noticed, because he finally broke away. Ezio leaned on his elbows above her, his forehead pressed lightly against hers, eyes closed as he attempted to compose himself. Lyn too tried her best to calm her ragged breathing, but she was having a bit of difficulty, as she still had an Assassin hovering over top of her.

"_Maledizione…_" Ezio cursed quietly, his voice rasping slightly. Having finally opening his eyes, Lyn gazed up into his amber depths, and was surprised to discover traces of hesitance and fear in that usually unwavering gaze. Having decided that she wasn't going to violently reject him, he made as if to speak again, but stopped, conflict clear on his face. His tongue darted out, wetting his lips before he finally admitted, "I've wanted to do that for quite a while now."

"Oh really?" Lyn grinned slyly, reaching up and wrapping her arms around his neck. A flicker of relief flashed across the Assassin's face before he returned her grin, pressing his lips against hers again, albeit more gently this time. Lyn let her eyes flicker closed, losing herself in the sensation and thoroughly enjoying herself. Ezio pulled away all too soon, drawing a disappointed whine from the back of her throat. Grinning cheekily, the Assassin merely changed the focus of his attack, feathering kisses across her jaw and down her throat. Lyn unconsciously let her head roll back, exposing more of her neck to him. Her hands worked their way into Ezio's silky hair, fisting in the fine strands as he hit a rather sensitive portion of skin.

"So is this how you react whenever anyone screams in your face…?" Lyn asked breathily, biting back a moan as Ezio ruthelessly attacked the sensitive spot. She felt him grin against her skin, and she couldn't help but suck in a shuddering breath as he grazed his teeth against the joint of neck and shoulder.

"Only when it's you doing the screaming," he murmured in between kisses. Lyn felt an embarrassed flush spread rapidly across her cheeks. Damn it, why was that embarrassing her? She should be more embarrassed by the fact that she was out in the open with an Assassin practically lying on her, doing sinful things with his mouth. And his hands. Lyn shuddered as one of his hands ghosted along her side, mapping her out in a way similar to what she had been doing earlier.

This was so bad, but dammit, it felt _so good_.

Instinct was starting to take over, and when Ezio kept abusing that sensitive spot on her neck, she couldn't stop herself from rolling her hips forward. The motion sent pain rocketing through her body, though, and she hissed, cringing and curling in on herself. Luckily, Ezio seemed to know what was wrong, and he pulled away, that concerned look flashing across his face again. "Don't worry me like that again," he growled, his voice serious.

"Hm, I dunno…" Lyn sighed, trying her best to keep a straight face. "I might need a bit of… motivation."

At this, Ezio chuckled. "That can be arranged," he grinned.

A thought popped into Lyn's head at his compliance. "How about a trade?" she offered, raising a hand to brush back his bangs. "You teach me how to be an _Assassino_-"

"No."

"…and I'll be more… _compliant_… in the future."

Ezio made as if to reject her idea again, and then paused as the realization of her words dawned on him. "That's still quite a bit of work just to get one girl," he commented, frowning down at her.

"I'm not just any regular ol' girl, though."

Sighing, the Assassin rolled off from over top of her, sitting in the hay bale a few feet away. He appeared deep in thought, his chin resting in one hand. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he spoke again. "I cannot teach you the way of the _Assassino_." Before Lyn could protest, he continued. "I have far too much to deal with to teach you. And there is much to learn. _But_, I do know of those who can teach you in my stead. It will be difficult, but if you truly wish to pursue this, I will take you to them." Glancing back, Lyn was surprised to discover pain in those amber depths. "The way of the _Assassino _is one of pain and bloodshed. Are you truly willing to carry that burden?"

Lyn let her thoughts drift to her own bloody past. She recalled the pain she had felt after her mother had left, after her father had died. "I know pain all too well," she murmured. "I can stand to endure a bit more if it means not having to endure stagnation."

"Very well. But do not come complaining to me when it proves to be too hard." Lyn was about to snarl angrily, but then she saw the playful smirk on his face.

"Oh please. I'm more of a man than you are," Lyn grinned in return.

Ezio cocked an eyebrow at her. "I sincerely hope not."

Rolling her eyes, Lyn pulled herself into a sitting position. "You're hilarious," she drawled, staggering to her feet. The ground swayed under her, and she almost toppled over. Luckily, the Assassin was there to catch her, leaning her against him.

"Now, about my payment…" he murmured next to her ear, and she could practically hear the grin in his voice.

"You'll get your payment when I get my training," she snapped, trying her best not to grin as well. "Now shut up and get me inside."

Ezio laughed, a deep rumbling chuckle that Lyn could feel resonating through his body. "Very well, _signorina._" Before she could react, he had scooped her up in his arms, carrying her effortlessly in bridal style back to Leonardo's studio. Lyn growled in protest, but she secretly enjoyed the treatment.

Everything would have gone smoothly, but as Ezio approached the door, Leonardo appeared seemingly out of nowhere. The artist stared at the scene before him, before merely shaking his head and walking into his studio without a word.


	5. I'll Make A Man Out Of You

HRGGGGGGH, THIS HAS TURNED INTO A BUNCH OF SEQUENTIAL DRABBLES. I swear, there is a plot in here somewhere. We just haven't gotten to it yet.

And dammit, as much as I would like to skip the training completely, I _have_ to do at least two or three sections over it. Because I have a few ideas, and there's just so much friggin' potential for furthering the story here.

This chapter underwent some serious rewrites. I originally had it as an introspective on Lyn's part, but I suck at that shit, and it was written poorly, so after 4 pages of crap, I scrapped it. I think this is actually much better, and it was way easier to write. But don't worry. If you dig the introspective stuffs, it's probably gonna worm its way in later.

Also, as a side-note, whenever it's in Ezio's POV, I use Lyn's full name because she hasn't told him about her nickname yet. It'll come eventually, but for now, he refers to her by her full name.

AS ANOTHER SIDE NOTE, I'M TERRIBLE AT WRITING ACTION SCENES. FUCK.

This doesn't apply till the second part, but when I mention the Sight, I mean Eagle Vision. I'm just too lazy to correct it.

ON TO THE REVIEWS.

Which, by the way, I love all of you who review. It makes me feel all fuzzy inside and actually want to write more. I'm glad that you love this piece of shit lovely story.

**Novexus Prime:** Don't worry! I don't think that I'll do any more chapters covering the training. And if I do, it'll be stupid and short, lolz.

**HikariNoTenshi-San:** You obviously have good sense. This chapter was supposed to have boatloads of jealousy, but I didn't like it, so it got deleted and rewritten, but… If all goes as planned, next chapter will have a bit more jelly. :3

And ladies-man-Ezio is a definite. I know he actually does grow up somewhat during the games, but this _is _supposed to be set during AC II, so he's still a giant flirt. Even though ACB kinda destroyed that with the Cristina side-missions bullshit. I mean, I like mature Ezio, but immature, ladies-man Ezio is just as fun!

* * *

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Assassin's Creed, or any characters affiliated with the game. I do, however, own Lyndis.

* * *

**The Silence in Between**

**Chapter Five: I'll Make A Man Out Of You**

* * *

"I'm not training her."

"Uncle…"

"_No_, Ezio. I _will not_ train her."

Ezio pinched the bridge of his nose and growled under his breath. This conversation was going _nowhere_. Ever since arriving at the Villa, Mario had been in a terrible mood, refusing to comply with one simple request.

"You trained me," Ezio pointed out, attempting to find a good argument. Truthfully, he agreed, to some extent, with his uncle, but he aimed to keep his promise. After all, they had traveled all the way here, and there was so much on the line. For him, of course.

"It was different with you," Mario scowled, crossing his arms. "Lyndis is a young lady. I refuse to ruin a lady's life in such a way."

"She'll find a way, even if you don't teach her. Trust me, I don't want this either, but this is the safest way."

"What makes you think that she'll be capable of actually learning anything?" Mario snapped, clearly growing annoyed with Ezio's persistence.

Ezio thought back to their first encounter, to how easily she had defended herself against the Templar guard, to how well she had wielded a sword, to how naturally her attempt at the Leap of Faith had been. Yes, she would be very capable of learning. And it wasn't as if she wouldn't learn it somewhere else if Mario refused. This would be the safest and easiest method.

But before he could respond, the door to Mario's office flew open and Claudia sprinted in, wide-eyed and breathless. "There's a commotion in the yard," she gasped out, clutching the doorframe and gesturing toward the training circle in the courtyard. The two men exchanged a quick glance before dashing out of the room.

A large crowd of mercenaries, thieves, and courtesans had gathered around the training circle by the time Ezio and Mario had made their way outside. The younger Assassin was instantly on guard as he heard the clash of steel on steel amidst the clamor of the crowd, and he sped his pace, silently forcing his way through the crowd. Mario, on the other hand, shouted angrily as he shoved through, knocking several people to the ground. Both men froze once they reached the edge of the ring and saw the spectacle before them.

In the center of the ring, Lyndis crouched in a defensive stance, a rapier clutched in her right hand. Three other men stood in the ring, circling warily, each holding a sword of some type. They seemed hesitant to attack, as if _afraid_ of the girl. Ezio didn't recognize any of the men, but they were all dressed like Mario's mercenaries. The three men exchanged a glance before they charged. Lyndis sidestepped the first man as he thrust his sword forward, causing him to stagger as he missed. As he stumbled by, the girl swiped her sword at his back, slapping the flat of her blade against his shoulders as he fell and knocking him off his feet. The second man charged at her from behind, his sword held high. Lyndis heard him coming and spun around, lifting her sword to block the downward strike. The steel clashed together, and her blade shivered under the force of the blow. Ezio was shocked to realize that these men were fighting her all out. Lyndis brought her left arm up to support her sword, struggling to keep the second man's blade from cutting her, but she was fighting a losing battle. As the blade came within inches of her face, she stopped trying to use force, and instead twisted her sword, slicing the back of the man's hand with the tip of her sword. The mercenary yelped and dropped his sword, giving Lyndis enough of an opening to deliver a roundhouse kick to the man's gut. Gasping in pain, the second man dropped, leaving Lyndis with just one opponent. The last man was no fool, though. He circled carefully, watching the girl with narrowed eyes, sword held at the ready. Lyndis too raised her sword, mirroring her opponent's motions with a calculated care. The remaining fighter finally darted forward, his sword flashing in the air as he flicked the blade with a practiced ease. Lyndis quickly countered, batting the tentative strike away quickly. The two continued this dance, with no headway being made by either party. Ezio could see that the intensity of the fight was pushing the girl to the extent of her abilities, though, and she was beginning to wear out. Clearly Lyndis could not hold out as long in a test of endurance. She needed to end the fight quickly, but she wouldn't be able to overpower her opponent. Ezio saw no way for her to win, and made as if to enter the arena and end the fight.

But a hand on his arm stopped him. Mario held him back, an intrigued look on his face. "Wait. If she's as good as you say she is, let's see how she handles this situation."

Ezio tensed, but didn't step back. Resigned, he turned back to the fight, wondering what Lyndis could possibly do to win. The two were still circling, swords raised. Lyndis's eyes were narrowed now, and he could tell that she too was worried about her predicament. A thought crossed her mind, and the tiniest of smirks turned up the corners of her mouth. To the surprise of everyone around her, she stepped out of her fighting stance, dropping her sword arm to her side. The crowd murmured in shock, wondering what exactly she was doing. Was she planning on surrendering? Even her opponent seemed surprised, shifting ever so slightly out of his stance.

"Are you giving up?" the man questioned, clearly wary of a trap.

"Ha! Wouldn't you like that," Lyndis laughed, grinning widely at her opponent. Now Ezio was certain that she had something planned, and he was pretty sure that it wouldn't end well. Lyndis stepped closer, her grin growing wider, if that was possible. "I'm just giving you a moment to take a breather. After all, it would be quite pathetic if you lost to a _girl_, now wouldn't it?"

At that, the man snarled, sprinting headlong for her. Lyndis stood still, waiting till the mercenary was close enough, and then she ducked, spinning and extending her sword arm, catching the mercenary on the back of the legs and sending him tumbling. She came skidding to a stop, and flicked her sword so that the point of the blade was pressed lightly against the man's throat. The mercenary glanced up, and grumbled bitterly as he loosed his grip on his sword. Smirking, Lyndis pulled her sword away, twirling it in her hand as she glanced back in Ezio's direction.

"Oh, hey there," she grinned, acting (quite poorly) as if she had no idea that they had been watching.

"What the hell is going on?" Mario growled, and Ezio could tell by his tone that he was angry.

The three mercenaries leapt up, saluting their captain as one man stuttered out, "We… we were just doing a bit of training, _messere_."

"And training involves duels with women?!"

"Sh-she said that you would be training her, _messere_," a second man blurted out, clearly shocked by this turn of events. Ezio, on the other hand, was not. He had figured that Lyndis, with all her cunning, would find some method with which to worm her way into training with his uncle.

Mario looked livid for all of five seconds, and then he burst out laughing. The three mercenaries stood shocked, unsure about the turn of events. "Ah, you fools," he chortled, wiping a tear away from his eye. "You've been played. A cunning little minx, you are." He directed the last part at Lyndis, who flashed a winning smile in return. "You'll make a fine _Assassino,_ indeed."

Ezio couldn't help but grin. He had spent hours trying to convince his uncle to train her, and it took her all of five minutes to convince him and everyone in town that he should comply. Shaking his head, he sighed, "I told you, uncle. I told you she would find a way."

* * *

After several months, Ezio managed to convince himself to return to the Villa for a reason _other _than to check up on Lyndis. The Assassin had acquired a few more Codex pages, which had been decoded thanks to Leonardo's genius, and he wanted to deposit them with his uncle before a Templar stole them while he wasn't looking. With his wallet heavy and his bags full, he trotted through the gates on horseback, glancing up to see the towering archway that signaled the beginning of his family's stronghold. Once inside the gates of Monteriggioni, he breathed in the cool autumn air and sighed contentedly, relaxing atop the horse. Here was the one place where he could truly let his guard down. Tugging his hood down, he flashed a genuine smile at the people passing by, and received a few shouted greetings and tentative waves in return. The people were still wary of him, but then, they were still wary of the Assassins in general. They knew who protected them, but they also respected their protectors' power.

At the foot of the stairs that led to the Villa Auditore, Ezio leapt from his horse, the usual clang of steel on steel echoing down from the sparring ring above. However, once he scaled the winding staircase, he discovered that Lyndis was not the one practicing there. This puzzled him. When he had last been here, albeit a few months ago, she had been practicing in the arena every day. The men in the arena immediately stopped as he approached, clambering over to where he stood and shouting greetings, along with requests to spar. Ezio was both amused and abashed by their high esteem for him. Had they not been the ones teaching him mere months ago? Waving off their requests, he asked the men sparring if they knew where Lyndis was, along with Mario. The men froze, glanced at each other, and gestured wordlessly to the villa. Apprehension coiled in his gut as Ezio politely thanked them, then headed for the regal building.

"Uncle?" Ezio called warily as he stepped through the threshold of the villa. The place was quiet, as usual, but his nerves were playing tricks on him, and it seemed far too quiet to be normal.

"Ah, Ezio! You're back!" Claudia's voice echoed down the stairs, her tone reassuring and easing his nervousness. She trotted down the stairs with her usual child-like glee, arms spread wide as she dashed forward to embrace him.

"_Si_, Claudia," he grinned, hugging her affectionately. She was always like this when he returned after a long period of absence. "Where is Uncle?"

His sister frowned, her amber eyes clouding with concern. "He's in his study. But Ezio, I warn you, he's not in a good mood."

"Is the training going _that_ badly?"

Claudia turned to look at her brother, a smirk playing across her lips. "You'll have to see for yourself, _fratello_."

Annoyed with her veiled warning, Ezio stalked cautiously into the study, rapping his knuckles against the doorframe as he entered. "Uncle?" he called out, stopping dead in place as the man fixed him with a murderous gaze. Even in his old age, Mario was a force to be reckoned with, and Ezio rather liked having all his body parts firmly attached.

"What is it, _nipote_?" the old man growled, ceasing his pacing for a few moments to acknowledge his nephew.

Ezio swiftly tugged out the pouch containing the decoded Codex pages. "I bring offerings of Codex pages." Mario grunted, turning from his nephew, but his anger was abated enough that the young Assassin deemed it safe to enter the room. As he placed the Codex pages on the wall with the help of his Sight, he casually commented, "You seem to be in a bad mood."

"Oh? Was it so obvious?" Mario drawled, sarcasm practically dripping from his voice. "Well, do forgive me. It's not like I have _anything_ to be annoyed about."

"Skittering around the issue will do you no good," Ezio replied sagely, stepping back to check that all the pages were in place. He glanced in his uncle's direction, forgetting to deactivate the Sight for a moment. The older man blinked and shuddered, reminding Ezio how unnerving it was for others to see his ability. According to others, his eyes glowed a golden-yellow when he was using the Sight, making him appear slightly demonic. Blinking rapidly, he switched back to regular vision, and turned to fully face his uncle, arms crossed over his chest. "Besides, we both know what you're talking about. It's Lyndis, isn't it?"

Mario growled at the mention of the girl's name, and the younger Assassin knew that he had guessed right. "That damn girl… She's nowhere near as easy to teach as you were. Yes, she is eager to learn, but she goes off by herself randomly and skips lessons if she thinks that she doesn't need them! Like today, for instance! The _stolto_ has been missing since morning, and today I instructed her to practice stealthy assassination techniques."

Ezio cocked his head to the side, intrigued by how Mario was intending to teach her such a thing. _He_ clearly was not one for stealth. The Assassin had assumed that either La Volpe or he himself would teach her that. "How?" he asked simply.

"I gave her a dulled hidden blade. She has till sunset to 'assassinate' me, and clearly, she has failed."

Ezio glanced outside, noting the position of the sun. "She still has a few minutes."

Scoffing, Mario brushed past his nephew, walking out into the main hall. "I just don't understand that child. One minute, she's a perfect student, and the next, she's the world's biggest slacker!"

Ezio trailed behind his uncle, absentmindedly listening to the old man rant. A faint tinkle caught his attention, and he glanced up, noting that the chandelier was swaying slightly. But he brushed it aside as Mario expected his attention, asking him, "What am I to do with such a foolish brat?"

He shrugged, well aware of his immediate response. "Continue to train her, I suppose. It's not as if you can stop so easily."

Mario crossed his arms defiantly. "I can and I will. Just you watch, _nipote_. If that _stolto _doesn't 'assassinate' me by sunset, then there will be no more training for her!"

Just as those words left the old man's lips, Ezio heard the tinkle again, coupled with the hiss of a hidden blade leaving its sheathe. Before he could even react, a white blur had dropped from above, landing hard on Mario's back and taking him to the floor. Mario yelped in surprise, pinned by the hooded figure, but he stopped as he noticed the blade at his throat.

"Challenge accepted," a feminine voice purred out from under the hood.

Ezio couldn't help but grin widely as Lyndis sat up, still sitting on Mario's back as the old man flung curses and threats at her, struggling to escape. But she had him pinned quite well, and he wasn't making any headway. Finally, after almost everyone in the house had congregated in the main hall, and Mario had calmed down, Lyndis stood, dragging the old man up with her. He grimaced, rubbing his back gingerly as he shot a withering look her way. Lyndis merely smiled sweetly out from under her hood, snapping the hidden blade back with a practiced ease.

"I see you've improved, _ragazzaccio,_" Ezio chuckled, crossing his arms and cocking an eyebrow at the girl. She finally turned to face him, tugging her white hood off to reveal her sparkling blue eyes. "But I wouldn't suggest hiding in the chandelier next time. It makes too much noise."

"Yeah, it does," she agreed, glancing up with a scowl. "Took me ages to climb up there, too. But it was the only place I could hide inside where nobody would stumble across me accidentally."

It _was_ the only place that Mario would pass by daily, but there was still a good deal of risk involved. "I heard you twice before you attacked. Someplace else would have been better."

Lyndis shrugged, raising her hands in defeat. "It worked, didn't it?" she grinned, glancing back at the still-grumbling Mario. "So long as I completed the mission successfully, does it really matter?"

"It does matter," Mario snapped, cuffing her lightly on the back of the head. Lyndis winced and rubbed her head, scowling after the older Assassin as he stormed off. "I'm still not satisfied that you've mastered stealth assassinations."

"But I – "

"Not a word from you, _ragazzaccio_," Mario cut her off, his angry scowl slowly shifting into a playful grin. He had something planned, and Ezio wasn't sure if he was going to like it. "I want you to successfully 'assassinate' Ezio before he leaves for Venezia."

Lyndis gaped, clearly not happy with the turn of events. Ezio, however, couldn't have been more pleased. His uncle had practically given him an excuse to torment and flirt with the girl. But he couldn't let his excitement show, or he would alert Lyndis of his plans. He let a mask of disinterest fall over his face as he nodded at his uncle.

"But…" Lyndis spluttered, words finally coming back to her. "But that's not fair!"

"Life isn't fair, _caro mio_," Mario commented bluntly as he walked off.

* * *

The next day, Ezio sat atop the villa, crouching on the flagpole as he watched the sun rise over the fields. Despite how calm the morning was, his muscles hummed with anticipation. Today started the period in which Lyndis was to try to 'assassinate' him. Emphasis on "try". Ezio knew full well that she stood no chance if he was on high alert. But it would certainly be amusing to watch her try to catch him off guard.

And try she did. The first day, she did nothing but trail behind him, trying her best not to be seen. He humored her until it got annoying, and then would call out any time he heard her behind him. The second day, she opted for aerial strikes. He knew that she liked these attacks, though, as it didn't require as much force to take down a target. So he spent all day looking up and sidestepping her attacks. She had come close to grazing him once, but that was because he had underestimated the speed at which she was falling.

It was the third day now, and Ezio was getting a bit unnerved, as Lyndis had yet to try anything at all. It was almost midday, but he had not seen even a flash of white. She couldn't have given up so easily. He was even making it easy, camping out atop the empty battlements. Not only would nobody be alerted to her presence, but it would make it easier for him to make a move of his own. Albeit a less violent move. So he paced the battlements, staring out over the fields, completely and utterly bored out of his mind.

A soft rustle behind him caught his attention, and he couldn't help but grin. Finally. He kept his stance relaxed, though, and continued pacing as though he hadn't heard a thing. He heard near silent footsteps creep closer, and the shift of a blade holster as she prepared to unsheathe her blade and strike. Ezio waited until he could practically hear her breath behind him, and then he spun around, grabbing Lyndis's collar and slamming her up against the nearby wall. The girl let out a choked cry, struggling to break free from his grip, but he had lifted her a few inches off the ground, so she had no leverage.

"You really need to work on sneaking up on people," he chuckled, grinning widely.

Lyn scowled darkly, gripping his forearms tightly as she continued to try to pry herself away. "You're just really hard to sneak up on," she countered. Ezio was amused to note a faint blush on her cheeks. She was already getting flustered, and he hadn't even done anything yet. "Now lemme go."

"Hm, I don't think so," he hummed, cocking his head to the side and giving her a once over. Lyn's face was quickly turning darker shades of red under her hood. "I rather like you like this."

"Well, this isn't exactly comfortable," she finally managed, her voice sounding strained. Ezio relented and let her feet touch the ground, but kept his hold on her collar. Lyndis's hands immediately flew up, her hands grappling with his arms, but to no avail. His grip was firm and unrelenting. But her squirming was getting annoying.

Ezio darted forward, crushing his lips against Lyndis's own. She let out a strangled yelp, giving him the chance to deepen the kiss. He snaked his tongue into her mouth, rubbing against her own tongue and eliciting the most delicious moan from the girl. Her hands spasmed on his wrists, as if she was torn between continuing to grip the spot or let her hands move elsewhere. He sincerely wished for the latter option. It had been far too long since he had felt a woman's touch. Hoping to spur her on, he released his grip on her collar, brushing his calloused fingertips across her neck. As he had hoped, her hands released his wrists and skittered across his broad chest. He growled approvingly, one hand sneaking around to grip the back of her neck and tilt her head for a better angle.

He would have been content to continue, had not he felt a hand gripping his throat painfully and a cold press of blunted steel on his jugular. He pulled back, eyes wide as he stared at Lyndis's narrowed eyes. The two stood frozen for a few moments, eyes locked, before a small smile spread across Lyndis's face.

"I win," she murmured, unable to hold back the grin that spread from ear to ear.

Ezio blinked, finally comprehending what had happened. She had been playing him this whole time. She had somehow known that she wouldn't be able to sneak up on him, so she had lured him to an isolated area to do the deed. It was a smart move, and it spoke volumes about her ability to strategize. He couldn't help but laugh heartily at his own gullibility. He backed up a step, clutching his sides as the fits of laughter wracked him. Lyndis retracted her blade, crossing her arms and snorting at his amusement. "Oh, that's rich," he chuckled, wiping a tear from his eye. "Do you plan on taking down all your targets like that?"

"Only if it works," she shot back, cocking her head to the side and smirking slyly.

Ezio shook his head, running his fingers through his hair haphazardly. "I can't say that your method is… traditional, but if it works…" he trailed off, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. Truthfully, he was hoping that she _wouldn't _let herself get caught by enemies frequently. Not everyone was as forgiving as he was.

Lyndis was already walking off, though, hopping up onto an outcropping on the wall. "Don't worry about me," she called back, as if she had read his mind. Right before she seemed about to leap off, however, she turned around, facing him again with that damn smirk turning up the corners of her mouth. "I can handle myself, _Assassino_." With that, she flipped backwards, spinning through the air and out of sight, leaving Ezio staring longingly after her.


	6. Query Me This

Good god, it's been ages since I've written _anything_. I apologize to all of you who are following this story, or any of my other ones. College sucks major balls. And a lack of muse doesn't help either. But I will be making a return! I won't be updating nearly as often, but I am going to be continuing my stories.

Also, thank you all so much for the comments! I'll try to reply to them again as I was before! Right now, though, I have to say that my favorite comment so far is "It's all fun and games until you have to kill a borgia captain with a boner."

This is a pretty short chapter, but I'm still getting back into the swing of writing, so my muse is still a bit low. I'm going to be changing this story around a wee bit as well, so bear with me. Lyn's training period is going to be coming to a close soon, and the real meat of the story begins there.

* * *

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Assassin's Creed, or any characters affiliated with the game. I do, however, own Lyndis.

* * *

**The Silence in Between**

**Chapter Six: Query Me This**

* * *

"I just realized something."

Lyn practically dropped her book, fumbling to keep her place as she whipped her head up, glaring daggers at Ezio and wondering just how the hell he managed to sneak around like that. Sure, she knew he was an _Assassin_, but she never expected him to be so quiet _all the time_. "What, that you're really not as pretty as you think you are?" she drawled, trying to act as nonchalant as possible.

The man didn't even flinch, though he did scowl a bit. "You seem to know a great deal about the _Assassino_, but I – _we _don't know anything about you," he quickly corrected, still staring seriously at her.

Lyn couldn't help the slight flinch as the topic shifted to her. Oh, she'd been hoping to avoid this subject. Letting her eyes flicker back down to the book, she did what she'd always done back home when someone asked her something she didn't particularly like: she shrugged and proceeded to blow the question off. "Nothing to tell," she muttered, hoping he'd lose interest and stop asking.

If only she were so lucky. Ezio didn't ask anything else, but she could feel his eyes boring into her, as if he thought that if he stared hard enough, he could read her mind and divulge her secrets that way. They sat in dead silence for a good ten minutes before it finally grew to be too much for her. "Are you planning on sitting there all day?" she growled, not bothering to look up. A slight rustle indicated that the Assassin had shifted a bit at her question, but he was still in the same spot as she glanced up. He didn't speak, merely giving her a look that said, 'What do you think?'

Snapping her book shut, Lyn slammed it on the table next to her and huffed, crossing her arms as she scowled at Ezio. "There's nothing _to_ tell."

"Of course there is," he insisted. "There's _always_ a story. Surely you must have a family, friends, and a home of some kind?"

Lyn shrugged. Sure, she had a father. At one point, he had been there. And she had friends. But how was she supposed to explain her past if it involved a future that had yet to happen? Sighing, she frowned at the floor, quickly finding the vaguest way of giving the Assassin what he wanted while still maintaining some secrecy of the future. "I didn't have a normal family. My father raised me by himself. He was a traveling… businessman," Lyn said slowly, struggling to categorize her father. He'd been a bit eccentric, always moving from place to place and never keeping a job for more than a few months at a time. Some of that might have had to do with her mother and the scars she left, but Lyn could never be sure.

"What of your mother?" Ezio asked, just like Lyn had both expected and dreaded.

"She's dead," she deadpanned. That was only partially true. Lyn didn't remember much of her mother, since she had left them when Lyn was still a child. She hadn't seen or heard from her mother until she was entering high school, when the news came that she had been found dead. But Ezio wouldn't understand a woman leaving her husband, so Lyn left that fact out. Instead, she continued with, "My mother was not a kind woman. I had no love for her."

Ezio seemed slightly put off by this, but still continued his questioning. "What of cousins or other relatives? Where did you live?"

"One question at a time," Lyn grumbled. "I never met any of my relatives, if they were even alive. Dad wasn't close to his family. As for where I lived… I lived in a place far from here, further north. You wouldn't know where it is, even if I told you. It rains much of the time, and when it doesn't rain, the air is so wet that it might as well be raining." She really didn't know how else to describe the city she lived in, other than that. Not that she minded. She rather enjoyed the rain.

Ezio frowned. Lyn was almost positive that he'd been expecting more interesting and descriptive answers, but that really was all she could tell him. That and she didn't like delving into her personal life. She wasn't open with anybody. Years of moving from place to place had driven her to become a bit of an introvert.

The Assassin shook his head, and Lyn knew he was nowhere near finished with his questioning. It suddenly struck her how easily she was giving him what he wanted to know, but she couldn't exactly turn back now. Somewhat resigning herself to the onslaught of questions, she sat silently as Ezio contemplated his next query.

"How are you so well trained?" he asked finally, actually managing to surprise Lyn. She frowned, once again unsure of how to answer. Technically, she had been in gymnastics in some form or another for as long as she could remember. She had once dreamed of becoming an Olympic gymnast. Of course, the harshness of reality had spoiled that lovely dream; she hadn't been good enough to make the cut. She couldn't shake the habit of training, though, and often found herself drawn to whatever local gym was in the area. Even during college, she had spent many hours practicing. She had never quite understood _why_ she continued to train, just that it felt right.

But she was quite positive that female gymnasts didn't exist in this day and age, which severely complicated her ability to explain herself. Grasping at straws, she finally answered with, "I helped my dad with his work sometimes. And I, er… was a dancer." It was the closest she could get to the actual reason without arousing suspicion.

Ezio opened his mouth to ask more, but Lyn decided to cut the questioning short. If he asked anything else, things would get harder to explain. "That's really all there is to it," she said quickly. Hopping to her feet, she grabbed the book she had been reading and shoved past Ezio, bolting down the hallway once she was clear of the room. She could hear him calling after her, but she didn't really care. She didn't want to spoil this. She had been blissfully living in this odd world, but Ezio's questioning had caused her to really think. It was only just now occurring to her that she had left behind a life. She had a job, friends, a home… Lyn didn't realize she was running until she noticed that she was outside and past the town gates. But she didn't care. She needed to be alone, to figure out this mess she'd entangled herself in. She needed to try to figure out how she had arrived here, how she could understand the language, how she could possibly get back home…

So she ran. Thunder rumbled in the distance, lightning illuminating the clouds overhead, but Lyn paid it no heed. It was only when she was completely out of breath that she stopped, bracing her hands against her knees and gasping for air. A few droplets of water fell from the sky, giving only a few seconds warning before the floodgates opened and the torrential downpour started. Lyn was soaked in a matter of seconds, but she pulled her hood up nonetheless in a vain effort to keep dry. Trudging along, she searched for some form of shelter to wait out the storm. An old, decrepit wagon sat on the roadside, abandoned for some time. Lyn quickly made her way to the back, pushing the fabric out of the way and hopping in.

She immediately regretted her decision.

The owner of the wagon hadn't abandoned his wagon. He'd been mugged. The man's body now lay in the back of the ransacked vehicle, lying as if he'd been asleep when his throat had been slit. The smell of death and decay washed over Lyn, and she gagged, taking a step back and covering her mouth and nose with her hand. It had been a clean death, yes, but it was still a _death_.

And this was what she was training to do. To kill. Being an Assassin wasn't something as lighthearted as the games made it seem. The weight of that decision fell on her, and she sagged to the floor, unable to tear her gaze from the man's corpse. Would this really help her? Or was she just digging herself an early grave?

Lyn found her thoughts wandering, as they often did. If this world _was_ like the game she had become so fond of, perhaps the Pieces of Eden were real. And if that was so, then perhaps she could glean some information from them. Maybe the Pieces were capable of sending someone into an alternate universe. But if they existed, someone _had_ to know. And there was no other way for her to find out other than on her current path. Her resolve slightly strengthened, Lyn slipped out of the cart, not wanting to spend any more time around the dead man. It was a pity that no one would bury him, she thought absentmindedly. Turning on her heel, she set back off the way she had come, trudging down the muddy road and hoping that she hadn't gone too far.

The sound of horse hooves splashing through puddles alerted her to someone riding towards her, and Lyn looked up in time to see Ezio approaching. The horse he was on skidded to a halt beside her, inadvertently splashing her with more water. Scowling, Lyn glared at the man. "_Mi dispiace_," he muttered, looking rather bashful. He reached down, offering his hand to help her onto the horse. Lyn stared silently for a moment, contemplating what she should do. She hadn't realized it before, but she was lost. She couldn't ask for help, for fear of being called insane, and she couldn't just wait for someone to rescue her. She had to pave a path for herself.

But just this once, she'd let the knight in shining armor save her. Grasping Ezio's hand, she hopped up onto the horse behind him, carefully sitting so she wouldn't fall off. Of course, she was forced to sit rather close to Ezio, which was why she was certain he'd only brought one horse. "Next time, I want my own ride," she grumbled, grudgingly wrapping her arms around him. Ezio merely chuckled, snapping the reins smartly and leading the horse back to town.

Lyn's mind was ablaze with all of the possibilities she had to consider and all of the problems she would no doubt have to face. But for now, she let her mind wander, and simply enjoyed the rain pouring down from above.


End file.
